The end of everything
by takoda40
Summary: How Remus lost everything, and everyone he had ever loved.


The moment that Remus woke up he knew something was wrong. The first thing he noticed was that Lily wasn't there. Every full moon since they had left school, and a fair few since she had found out in their first year, she had been there with him as he woke up, checking him for any serious injuries, and making him a cup of reviving coffee, even leaving baby Harry at home when he was less than a month old.

The second thing he noticed was as he tried to stand up- no-one had come last night. Since 5th year, when his fellow marauders had master becoming animagi, Remus had only faced a few full moons alone, and those few had always been considerably worse. To be honest now he thought about it Remus wasn't too surprised, he had barely seen any of his friends in the last month, but he had hoped that they would have found the time… No really he was being selfish. Dumbledore had hinted that the Potters had actually been forced into hiding; he couldn't have expected James to risk everything, just for him. But what about Sirius, or Peter?

* * *

The next hint for Remus that things were not as they should be came at 9:00am that day, when about half a dozen aurours knocked on his front door. He had just managed to drag himself out of the cellar where he transformed, and after checking himself down, and resigning himself to the fact that if Lily didn't turn up today, he would probably have to visit St Mungos or Madam Pomfrey, he was just sitting down with a coffee he had had to make himself, when the knock at the door came. Hoping it was at least one of his friends come to apologise for their absence, Remus waved his wand to let them in.

The first aurour looked him up and down and loudly announced "Remus Lupin you are under arrest."

* * *

Remus paced the cell anxiously. Considering less than an hour ago he had been unable to stand without being in severe pain it was ironic that now he could not stay still. He had know that something was wrong since he woke up, but he had not been answered when he was practically dragged out of the house by the aurours- his legs had not yet decided to work. When the door opened revealing Frank and Alice Longbottom; aurours that were a couple of years older than Remus and his friends, but fellow Gryffindors and members of the Order of the Phoenix. Remus almost jumped on them for answers.

"Follow us" Frank said rather stiffly, not looking at Remus at all. Alice just looked rather teary eyed. Remus realised that things had to be very bad- Alice, like Lily, was still not working full time, even though both baby boys were over a year old. At least that would explain the absence of all his friends perhaps, even Peter, if he had been called in for Order work, but there was still no explanation for why he was here, under arrest.

When they reached an interrogation room Remus collapsed into a seat. "What is happening Frank?"

"Where were you last night?" Frank demanded, a hard edge in his voice that Remus didn't understand, still staring at a space somewhere above Remus' slumped head.

"At home. What happened Frank?" Remus asked again getting desperate, getting up again, still unable to stay still, despite feeling like he was about to collapse.

"You look like you were in a fight. Did You-Know-Who torture you for the Potters location? Or did Peter get you too? What happened Lupin?"

"Voldemort? The Potters? What happened last night? TELL ME"

Frank looked a little taken aback, but obliged. Maybe he needed to know the whole story.

"Last night Lord Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow, and killed James and Lily Potter. Early this morning Sirius Black murdered Peter Pettigrew, and 13 muggles, and is now in custody of the ministry. What part did you have in this? Remus, are you alright?"

At this news Remus' legs had done what they had been threatening to do since he had left home, and given way. As he fell against the wall he tried to comprehend what he had just been told.

"Harry?"

"Alive." It was the first time Alice had spoken, and Remus remembered that she had been close to Lily. "What about you Lupin? Whose side are you on? What were you doing last night?"

"I was at home. I don't remember what happened though. I-I'm a WEREWOLF, I have been since I was 5. That's how I got injured, what I was doing last night, why I had no idea what happened."

Alice's face was completely unreadable, but Frank's face had transformed into that look of disgust so familiar. "And they allowed you in Hogwarts?"

"Dumbledore let me into Hogwarts, they all knew, I'm fully registered I promise. I knew something was wrong, they normally come… before I transform, but they didn't come." Remus felt so numb he could do nothing. He was stuck on the floor, he couldn't move, and all his injuries from the night before were suddenly so much more painful than before, pain was throbbing through every part of him.

"Remus?" It was Alice, she had come to crouch down in front of him. "Remus. I know they were your best friends, and it might seem like everything is gone, but remember that you've got us, we're you friends too." There was a moment of silence, then an owl swooped with a reply to a memo that Frank had apparently sent.

"You have an alibi for last night it would seem, and you're fully registered, so there are no problems there." Frank looked down at the broken form of the werewolf, but only saw his friend, who had just lost everyone most important to him. "We can let you out for now, but we may have to question you more about your involvement with Black later. I think we need to take you to St Mungos."

"Hogwarts," Remus mumbled, "St Mungos don't like… us"

Frank and Alice exchanged glances, "I'll call Dumbledore then."

* * *

Of the next few days Remus would always have little recollection. He remembered Frank and Alice's concerned faces; Albus Dumbledore, looking older than ever before; a tearful Madame Pomfrey telling him that Frank and Alice had been tortured to insanity with the cruciatus curse; and all the while the same thoughts cycling round his head-

Lily, who had been the first to find out, and who had been like a sister to him for years, was dead. James, who had come up with the animagi idea, which had quite possibly saved his life, was dead. Peter, who was always so stupid, but had always been happy to stay in the shadow, as long as it was their shadow, was dead. Harry, that lovely, happy child, who was always happy to see him, and who never cared what Remus was, was an orphan, left with Lily's horrid magic hating sister. Frank and Alice, who had promised to be there for him now that the others would not be, were in St Mungos, never to come out, never to get better, leaving their own young boy practically an orphan. And Sirius, who Remus had forgiven after the Snape/Willow incident, who Remus had really thought was different from his family, who Remus realised now had been poisoning his friends against him for months, was the reason for all of this.

* * *

That Halloween the wizarding world celebrated. Lord Voldemort was gone, so many lives saved. Few mourned the passing of Lily and James. But sat alone in his empty house Remus didn't feel relieved. He had lost everything and everyone. The world was saved, and his world was ended.


End file.
